Somalia President Fires Prime Minister

Fikirka Xorta ah - Somalia's government was near collapse Sunday as Islamic insurgents accused of having ties to al-Qaeda vowed never to negotiate or share power with the Western-backed administration.

Somalia's president fired the prime minister Sunday, saying he failed to bring security to a nation struggling with a violent insurgency and political turmoil. (See TIME's top 10 news stories of 2008)

Click here to read the news

U.S. military considers options to deal with Somali pirates

Fikirka Xorta ah -- The Pentagon is looking at options, but there are no plans for U.S. forces to go ashore in pursuit of pirates in Somalia, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently asked the military to look at "what options and alternatives are available from a purely military perspective" to deal with piracy off the coast of Somalia, Capt. John Kirby told CNN.

Pentagon officials are shying away from a direct endorsement of a proposal the United States is circulating at the U.N. Security Council that calls for countries to "take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including in its airspace," to counter piracy.

However, Kirby said the Pentagon is not doing any current planning to launch attacks against pirates on land or in the air.

"We are not looking at how to implement the resolution," Kirby said.

The developments come after Somali pirates release a Greek chemical tanker they have held since October, a piracy monitor said Saturday.

"The MV Action was released by pirates," said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Seafarers Assistance Program in Mombasa, Kenya. "She is currently limping to safe waters (and) it is feared that three crew members lost their lives under questionable circumstances."

Circumstances of the release were not immediately known.

Pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia have shot up this year, with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets. So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Freight and cargo ships, cruise liners and private yachts have all come under attack. In many hijackings, pirates take the crew and passengers hostage while they demand a ransom.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the military is still looking for an international solution to the piracy crisis. One top U.S. priority, according to U.S. military officials, is new legal measures that would ensure anybody detained by the U.S. military could be turned over to a country in the region for prosecution. That could be a meaningful new deterrent, according to the officials.

Senior U.S. officials said the United States wants a United Nations force, not a multinational force, in Somalia. A multinational force requires manpower, resources and money which are not available right now, the officials explained. In addition, no nation has come forward to meet the requirements of a multinational force. A U.N. peacekeeping operation, the officials said, is a more realistic option.

The United States is working on text for a second U.N. resolution which would authorize the stabilization force, two senior U.S. officials told CNN. Some countries, and the U.S. military, are having problems with the wording. The resolution calls for a force to replace the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the officials said. It would be used in Mogadishu and the surrounding areas to help stabilize the government to allow it to deal with the piracy issue.

The force would not be explicitly set up to go after pirates, according to the officials. Some countries (including the U.S. military) have problems with the idea and are still discussing language on composition and deployment rules of engagement, according to two senior U.S. officials.

In the past, the United States has conducted air strikes in Somalia to pursue suspected al-Qaeda targets. However, to go after pirates in the same manner would take a new U.N. resolution. Piracy is a criminal activity but is not considered terrorism.

Ethiopia - Interview with Ambassador Brook Hailu Beshah*

Fikirka Xorta ah - The African continent has witnessed several critical events this year that have escalated political tensions and increased security concerns. In Zimbabwe, despite losing an election for the first time in the country’s history, President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party are holding onto power, by cracking down on the opposition and refusing to cooperate in a peace agreement for unified governance.

In Somalia, lawlessness continues to dominate the land -- and the seas. Several attacks on ships off the coast of Somalia have captured the attention of the international community. Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over the border grew as the UN peacekeeping mission withdrew. And in Sudan, the political conflict between the north and the south continues to boil.

Additionally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has returned to war, and Kenya is learning the hard lessons of keeping together a heavily divided government.

"We live in the 21st century where self-determination and independence of peoples is respected. My expectation is Somaliland will be accepted—recognized by African, the USA and by the European countries in the immediate future." Says, Ambassador Brook Hailu Beshah in the interview.
Click here read the whole interview with the Ambassador

World Spy Agencies: What do you know?

Fikirka Xorta ah - We have compiled small info about the current active spy agencies that areworld stage players. Our Sirdoon or Intelligence gathering blog has this list.

Click here to read

Somalia: "War Crimes Devastate Population", Human Rights Watch

Fikirka Xorta ah - All parties in the escalating conflict in Somalia have regularly committed war crimes and other serious abuses during the past year that have contributed to the country's humanitarian catastrophe, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the United States, the European Union, and other major international actors to rethink their flawed approaches to the crisis and support efforts to ensure accountability.

The 104-page report, "So Much to Fear: War Crimes and the Devastation of Somalia," describes how the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), the Ethiopian forces that intervened in Somalia to support it and insurgent forces have committed widespread and serious violations of the laws of war. Frequent violations include indiscriminate attacks, killings, rape, use of civilians as human shields, and looting. Since early 2007, the escalating conflict has claimed thousands of civilian lives, displaced more than a million people, and driven out most of the population of Mogadishu, the capital. Increasing attacks on aid workers in the past year have severely limited relief operations and contributed to an emerging humanitarian crisis.

Click here for: summary and recommendations
Click here to download the report
Click here for: Summary and recommendations in Somali

Dhalinyaro Somalida Minnesota oo laga cabsi qabo inay dagaal u dhoofeen

Fikirka Xorta ah - Wararka ku saabsan in dhalinyaro Somali ah oo ku nool dalka Maraykanku ay ka tagaan gobolka ay u badan yihiin ee Minnesota oo ay dagaalka ka holcaya dalkooda ka qayb qaataan oo qaarkood is qarxiyaan ayaa soo badanaya.

Waxaba ay ciidanka dembi baadhista ee federaalka ee FBI loo yaqaan caddeeyeen in ku jiraan baadhista arrintaas.

Waxay soo celiyeen maydkii intii ka soo hadhay nin is qarxiyay oo lagu sheegay Shirwac Axmed. Waxa la leyahay wuxuu ka mid ahaa kooxdii bishii Oktober 29-keeda ee sannadkan saddexda meelood ka qarxiyay Somaliland. Waxana halkaas ku dhintay ama ku dhaawacmay dad aad u badan.

Haddaba waxa toddobaadkan la aasay ninkaas dhallinta yar oo ka mid ah tiro dhallinyaro la layahay oo waalidkood iyo qaraabadoodu ay maalintii Sabtida ee bishan December 6 ku kulmeen xarun Bryant Cole la yidhaa oo jaaliyaddu ku shirto. Magacyada meesha laga qakhriyay ayaa waxa ka mid ahaa saddex dhalinyaro ah oo laba jaamacadda hadda galeen mid kalena uu dugsiga sare ku jiray. Iyadoo si dadban loo eedeeyey koox aan la magacaabin oo madaxa ka xadday dhallintaas.

Waxa halkaa ka hadlay dad badan oo cadhaysan oo runtii u badan garab ka mid ah ggarabyada siyaasadda Somalida isku haya. Waxana ay si cadho ku jirto u sheegeen in ay dawladda Maraykanka iyo hayadaha nabadgelyada ka codsadeen in carruurtoodii loo soo celiyo.

Tirada dadka maqan ayaa lagu muransan yahay. Waxa dadka qaar ay qabaan in dhallinyaro ku dhaw 40 ay dhoofeen qaarkoodna soo noqon doonaan dhowaan. Waxase hadda runta u dhaw lambar intaas ka yar oo aan toban gaadhayn.

Waxa la soo xiganayaa warar sheegaya in dhallinta maqani ay badankoodu ka wada tirsan yihiin masaajidka Abuubkar Al Sidiiq oo ay ku socoto baadhis. Waxana la sheegay in Iimaamkii Masjidka iyo dad la socday loo diiday inay xajka u dhoofaan oo lagu daray liiska dadka aan duuli karin.

Haddaba arrintan oo murgisay nolosha dadka Somalida ah ee ku dhaqan gobolkaas Minnesota iyo guud ahaan dalka ayaa waxay sii kicisay xiisadda tartanka loollanka siyaasadda ee qabiilka ku salaysan ee Somaliya oo si toos ah u taabatay nolosha dadkan ka fog safka hore ee dagaalka sokeeye.

Is aamin la'aanta sii fogaanaysa ayaa waxay Somalida ku abuurtay colaad raagta oo aan tanaasulaad lahayn. Taasoo taabatay dad deggan meelo aad uga fog goobaha dagaalada.

Xaalka Somalida ayaa aad looga hadlaa beryahan oo jaraa'idka iyo television nada caalamiga ahina ay qaadaa dhigaan. Arrinta colaadda Somaliya ka taaqan oo muddo badan socotay kolbana weji yeelanaysa ka sokow, waxa mashaqada Somalida iftiinka ku shiday budhcad badeeda oo si badheedh ah u afduubta maraakiib waaweyn. Waxayna indhaha adduunka u soo jeediyeen markay qabaseen markab weyn oo saliid u siday dalka Maraykanka iyo mid sida hub culus oo taangiyo ku jiraan.

Waxa toddoaadkan oo keliya maqaallo ka qoray New York Times oo ka mid ah wargeysayada ugu magaca, akhriska iyo awoodda badan adduunka. Isagoo xaaladda Somaliya ku tilmaamay mid ka sii daraysa.

Waxa sidoo kale ka hadlay wargeysa toddobaadlaha ah ee loo yaqaan NEWS WEEK MAGAZINE oo isagu soo jeediyay maqaalkiisa ah, "Libaax Badeedka Biyaha" oo qoray, "Sida kama dabaysta ah ee budhcad badeedda biyaha Somaliya looga tiritiri lahaa."

Siyaasadda Somalida ee murugsan ee aargoosi aano qabiil iyo dhakhso u dhereg iyo maxaad boobtaa ku xididaysan ayaa adduunku maanta aad uga soo taagan yahay. Waxana la sheegay in maamulka cusub ee Madaxyenaha la doortay ee Barak Obama ay Somaliya ku jirto liiska wax qabad ee siyaasaddiisa srrimha dibadda ee ku wajahan Afrika.

Waxana taas ka markhaati ah ballan qaadka uu sheegay in maamulkiisu la shaqayn doono Qaramada Midoobay si loo xalliyo arrimo badan oo gurrucan oo ay Somaliya ku jirto. Taasoo Safiikiisa cusub ee dalka USA u fadhiyi doona UN-ta Marwo Susan Rice ay tahay mid aaminsan in xalka Somaliya ku jiro wax qabad buuxa oo u dhexeeya xubnaha Qaramada Midoobay.

Haddaba xiisadaha kala duwan ee Geeska Afrika ee ay shidayaan danaha is jiidhaya ayaa waxa la arki doonaa in isbeddel weyni ka soo baxo marka u shirka siyaasiyiinta Somaliya ee dalka Djibouti ku gorgortamaya dhammaado. Iyo goorta uu maamulka cusub ee Obama qaado tallaabooyin wax ku ool ah oo ku saabsan siyaasadda Geeska. Waxa kaloo arrinta wax ka beddlei kara dalalka Midawga Yurub oo arrinta budhcad badeedda waxqabadkeeda u xusul duuban.

Halkan ka daawo aaskii Shirac Axmed ee Minnesota, USA


Maxay kula tahay? Fikirkaaga si cilmiyaysan u cabbir.

Strategic Interests: -- Somalia: "The Times They Are A-Changin"

Fikirka Xorta ah - What is heartening is that a wide number of analysts, practitioners, and advocates have come around to a similar assessment of the realities on the ground in the Horn of Africa. Writing two weeks ago in The New Republic, Dr. Jonathan Stevenson, a professor of strategic studies at the U.S. Naval War College and author of the authoritative case study of America's 1990s intervention in Somalia, suggested that:

"Perhaps U.N.-sanctioned special political status for Somaliland that could qualify it for international aid and protection, in recognition of its largely self-generated order and viability, should be on the table to create incentives for the more unruly militias in southern Somalia to reach political compromises."

Likewise Bronwyn Bruton of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggested the United States should examine several nontraditional strategies, including the previously explored ‘bottom-up' and/or ‘building block' approaches."

Even the nongovernmental aid organization Refugees International has chimed in with a policy bulletin. While the concerns of the NGO were primarily focused on what it termed "the world's worst humanitarian disaster," it also criticized the international community for its "schizophrenic approach to Somaliland" by "treating it as an independent state when it's politically or operationally useful…but otherwise maintaining the rhetoric of a unified Somalia."


To read the full article, please click here.
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J. Peter Pham is Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Disturbing News Continues: "'Missing' Somali man is brought home"

Fikirka Xorta ah -- The first evidence that Somalis in Minnesota may have taken part of the suicide bombing in Somaliland were released by the FBI today when they returned the remains of what believed to be Ahmed Shirwa of Minneapolis to his family. Shirwa was one of a six young men disappeared from Minnesota over the past year.

The US government is not saying much as the investigation continues, but Somalis in Minnesota is divided as fear of government crackdown on some suspected worship mosques were reported.

Somalis political support depends on their tribal allegiances. That is why some of the weak Somali Government supporters quickly blame the members of the opposition for recruiting and sending jihadist elements to Somalia/Somaliland to fight Ethiopian forces in Somalia.

The Somali Government supporters motive of blaming the oppistion maybe questionable and US Government agencies need to consider the clan factor and the deep mistrust among Somalis in Minnesota. But the fact that some Somalis are leaving the US to fight is damaging to the community's efforts to assimilate. The rest of Minnesotans may regard Somalis suspiciously or prejudge all of them as terrorist sympathizers. If that happens, whether tribe A is opposing tribe B would be irrelevant and all Somalis would be the victims of their own creation.

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Watch ABC News' report on Somalia: A Safe Haven for Terrorists?

Disturbing News: Missing Twin Cities Somalis, terror ties probed

Fikirka Xorta ah -- "Missing Twin Cities Somalis, terror ties probed", was the headline for the Start Tribune"s (Minnesota's largest daily newspaper) Wednesday, November 26 . This is one of the most disturbing news I heard so far from my old home town since I left almost two years ago to pursue my dreams of managing a major news organization in other cities in North America and Europe.

When I opened my inbox from the paper’s RSS feed, I stared the headline for few minutes before I dared to read the article. I couldn't believe for what I was reading. Young Somalis from the Twin Cities area abandoning their future to commit suicide in Somalia/Somaliland !

I was heartbroken twice. For once; the city of Hargeisa (Capital City of Somaliland) that was attacked by suicide bombers on October 29, 2008 is my ancestor's homeland. It is the place where my mother, my siblings, and most of my relatives live. It is my home city which I'm so connected that a big poster of the modern Hargeisa’s view hanged on the wall of my old office in Minneapolis. Any one who walked in my office could have seen the poster. I was always eager to tell people about the city if asked. My favorite line was, "Ooh that is my home town city of Hargeisa, Somaliland". Usually more questions followed of where Hargeisa is, what is it like to live there etc. And anyone could see how proud I was to share what I know about that far corner of the world surrounded by a region devastated by war and famine.

The attack of that day killed 22 people and injured dozens more. My cousin Zahra who is the UN's Political Officer in Hargeisa, was about to leave when her coworker stopped her near the main gate entrance of their Hargeisa UNDP Head Quarters for small chat and to say hello. As soon as she has turned to move away from him, a speeding SUV vehicle drove in flying and chased by armed police at the gate running behind the car trying to stop. Within minutes the car exploded next to the main building . The ground has shaken and half of the building collapsed. My cousin’s friend that she was just talking to dead on the spot. Because she was sort of away from the explosion, she escaped uninjured but nonetheless shocked and dismayed.

For the next few days, Hargeisa's communication system, mainly phone lines were jammed as Somaliland Diaspora Communities tried to reach home to find out details of what had happened and to check up on their relatives. There were memorial services in most countries where Somalilanders live and people rallied to send relief for the victims and hospitals.

The government's reaction to secure the institutions, foreign diplomats and all other main economic infrastructures was swift. Several people alleged to have something to do with the attacks were arrested. Investigations are still going on but life you know it in Somaliland has changed forever. There are more visible security personnel, more check ups and more delays in traveling around the nation.

So, as the wounds of that horrible attack still fresh, it is heartbreaking to me that people from a state (Minnesota) that I love so much may have something to do with it. Minnesota is the home state of the largest Somali ethnic community in USA. Minnesota is a place where, despite the coldest weather in the US except Alaska, I and other Somali expatriates made home. Minnesota is a place where the most tolerant human beings live. It is a state where residents value diverse cultures, educational advancement and human ingenuity. My home state Minnesota, is the best place on earth in my opinion.

Star Tribune's report ".. there is a high-level investigation of whether six to seven young Somali men and teenagers left the Twin Cities and returned to their homeland to participate in terrorist activities." clearly shows the Vulnerability of young persons to fall victims to the demise of ideologue/murderous, extremists minds hiding among general population.

The details of the news is yet to be seen, but it doesn't take one to understand that those young men killed in the suicide bomb or those in the “pipeline” willing to kill themselves have been brainwashed. The challenge, however, is for us to reclaim our youth. We need to find a way to prevent this to happen again. A better picture to understand how young bright men could go halfway around the globe to commit this horrible act would eventually come out of the investigation. But if my assumptions are correct, lack of choices may have contributed to their decision. That is if and if the news is right.